Potatoes · Recipe · Spain · Reference page

Tortilla de patatas

Name: Tortilla de patatas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 700 g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced; 300 g onion, sliced in julienne; 6 piece eggs; salt; 500 ml olive oil for confiting the potatoes (plenty)

tortilla de patatas / tortilla española

A thick omelette of potatoes confited slowly in olive oil and onion cooked until soft and sweet, set in a pan and turned once. This is Directo al Paladar's onion version for four. Whether onion belongs in a tortilla is one of Spain's favourite arguments.

Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.

Servings: 4
Preparation: 30 min
Cooking: 15 min
Total: 45 min
Difficulty: Moderate

Equipment

Two frying pans: one for the onion, one about 22–24 cm for the potatoes and the tortilla
Large plate or lid for turning

Servings4

Ingredients

700 gpotatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
300 gonion, sliced in julienne
6 eggs
salt
500 mlolive oil for confiting the potatoes (plenty)Strain and reuse it.

Shopping list

Method

Start with the onion: cook it in a little oil in a pan over a very low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and sweet but not browned.
Timer · 30 min30:00
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes thinly and evenly and leave them in water for 15 minutes. Drain and dry them.
Timer · 15 min15:00
Put plenty of olive oil in the other pan and add the potatoes before the oil is hot, so they cook slowly and confit rather than fry. After about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, raise the heat a little so some pieces colour.
Why Starting in almost cold oil cooks the potatoes through softly; the brief higher heat at the end adds a few crisp, golden contrasts.
Timer · 15 min15:00
Drain the potatoes well and put them in a large bowl with the drained onion. Beat the eggs, salt them and mix in with a fork.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in the tortilla pan, pour in the mixture and let it set for 3–4 minutes. Turn it with a plate or lid and cook the other side briefly.
Why Spanish cooks argue over how set the centre should be. Cook longer on the second side for a firm tortilla.
Timer · 4 min4:00

To drink & serve with

Rioja
Editorial suggestion: a young Rioja or a glass of fino; in Spain it is eaten as a tapa with bread.

Substitutions

Onion → Leave it out for the onion-free school.

Common mistakes

Frying the potatoes in very hot oil: they brown outside and stay hard inside.
Not draining the potatoes: the tortilla turns greasy.

Storage & reheating

Good warm or at room temperature on the day. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within a day.

Safety

Contains egg. A soft centre means lightly cooked egg: cook it through for pregnant women, young children, older people and anyone immunocompromised.

Allergens

Egg

Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

Dietary

vegetarian · gluten-free · dairy-free

The first thing a Spanish cook learns

Directo al Paladar calls the potato tortilla perhaps the first recipe any aspiring cook should learn, and the onion version one of the most characteristic dishes of Spanish cooking, fit for any occasion. Its history is not documented in the sources we used, so we do not repeat the origin stories that circulate.

[1]

Confit, not fry

The method has two special touches. The onion is cooked separately for half an hour until sweet and soft. The potatoes go into plenty of oil while it is still almost cold, so they confit gently; only after ten minutes is the heat raised for a little colour. Drained and mixed with the beaten eggs, they are set in a pan with a spoonful of oil for three or four minutes, then turned.

[1]

How it connects

Place

origin Spain In preparation

Potato

made with Agria

Wine region

pairs with Rioja

Recipe

related Patatas bravas